The sharp increase in fuel cost in recent years has encouraged consumers to look for alternatives to fossil fuels. Among the large users of fossil fuels, farmers have been hurt both by the increasing cost of fossil fuels and the decline in the prices they receive for their crops. Farmers use large quantities of fuel for grain and seed drying. It has been recognized that a reduction in the quantity of fossil fuels used for this purpose would be of financial benefit to the farming community as well as advantageous to the energy conservation program.
The use of agricultural waste products for fuel for grain and seed drying purposes has been considered impractical because of contaminants and particulates produced during the burning process. Also, the burning of such material in solid form has not readily lent itself to automation or automatic controls, thus reducing the financial benefits obtained by the elimination of fossil fuels.
One method of obtaining clean fuel from organic farm waste products is by gasification. Many years ago, gasification was the principal means of providing gas for domestic and industrial consumption although to a large extent prior gasification systems utilized coal to produce gas. The gasification processes and their technological development were largely abandoned with the advent of cheap natural gas.
An object of this invention is a heat producing apparatus which utilizes readily available agricultural waste products, particularly solid carbonaceous material of cellulosic composition.
An object of this invention is a heat producing apparatus in which heat is produced by burning gas of relatively low B.T.U. value which is obtained by gasification of cellulosic type carbonaceous agricultural waste.
Another object is a heat producing apparatus in which corn cobs are utilized as the cellulosic type carbonaceous material which is gasified.
Another object is a self-contained heat producing apparatus which is compact and relatively small in size.
Another object is a heat producing apparatus which can be shipped to a point of installation in relatively small parts which can easily be assembled on site.
Another object is a heat producing apparatus utilizing cellulosic type carbonaceous material which produces a supply of heat free of incombustible particulate matter and tars. Another object is a heat producing apparatus in which tars produced during gasification are burned to increase the heat efficiency obtained from the fuel.
Another object is a heat producing apparatus utilizing solid agricultural waste products which can be controlled and operated almost completely automatically.
Another object is a heat producing apparatus in which the flow of air through the gasifier, burner and cyclonic burning chamber is controlled by the heat discharge fan.
Other objects may be found in the following specification, claims and drawings.